Audio Chimera Episode #58 is available. Billed as “The Christmas Spectacular,” it is, actually, not that spectacular. It contains memories of past Christmases growing up, when there was always arguing. Similar arguments continued into my married adulthood, so for a good reason, Christmas has never been a favorite season of mine.
Part of it also comes down to gift-giving. And gift-asking. When I was a kid, I had no trouble asking for things, mostly related to my future career in science. (More about this in Immaculate Misconceptions.) And the photos in my collection suggest I received everything I asked for, which was quite astounding on our limited budget. Lately, however, there’s nothing I really want. I have enough clothes, more than enough shoes for a regular male, and all the tech I need.
As for gift-giving: that was always difficult. What do you get for the person who has everything, buys things she wants just before Christmas, and gives no hints? (That was my late wife.) I do think I am getting better at taking hints, and Christmas 2022 will show us if that is true or not.
Meanwhile, I continue to rail (in vain) against the over-commercialization of Christmas (trees in Walmart before Halloween? Really?), the rampant buying by people who complain of inflation and the democrats and Biden but who overspend anyway, and the culture panic-mongering over the alleged war on Christmas (which doesn’t exist). As I say in the podcast, it’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but much evidence is to the contrary.
However, I will say this, with a heartfelt wish: Happy Holiday of your choice to you!
And please listen to Episode #58!
Not quite finished, but almost there.
And if you want a secular take on a famous Christmas carol, watch my YouTube video, “12 Weeks of the Semester,” taking the famous song and wrecking it over a slacker student not showing up to class.
And for those “Bah, Humbuggers” among you, I offer you my (anti-) Christmas poem: Phorkyad’s Christmas Song.
MUSOFYR 